Who Are We?

Head of a Woman is a new collective formed by students of the Central School of Speech and Drama’s MA Advanced Theatre Practice program. We are an ensemble of six professional theatre artists from six different countries: England, Scotland, Israel, Canada, Iceland and Taiwan. Together we have found a common theatrical language and work together to create work which reflects us both as a collective and as a collection of strong individuals.

Our Manifesto:

We find narratives in words, movements, sounds and images. Our aims are to stir, to move, to arrest the senses and emotions of the spectator.

The performance is an offering, an experience we share with the audience, a space for questions to be asked and possibilities to arise.

Our Project

1883.753 (working title) is our follow up to our debut piece, Grey Matters: A Play for Six Brains, which can be seen at Rich Mix in London on June 17th 2012. 1883.753 will be our second piece created as a company and our first piece directly engaging with the multinational identity of the ensemble.  Although based in London, Head of a Woman will travel to Iceland as part of this project, adding a practical aspect to the exploration of traveling. We will detach ourselves from our daily environment and work in a foreign place, embracing the opportunity to embody the nature of our piece during the devising process.  This journey will shape our piece significantly.

The devising process will culminate in performances for paying audiences in Reykjavik (July 2012) and London (August 2012).

Current Partners and Investment

• While in London we will continue (for as long as possible) to make the most of the support offered by Central School of Speech and Drama. This includes tutor-led study, rehearsal space, and work-in-progress opportunities.
• By negotiation with the Mayor of Vesturbyggd, Ásthildur Sturludóttir, we will be running a Drama Workshop in exchange for the use of rehearsal space in Iceland.
• The premiere in Reykjavik is planned for 29th of July 2012 at the Nordurpóllinn (The North Pole), which is an intimate theatre that supports new writing and is renowned for producing high quality experimental theatre: http://nordurpollinn.com/.  Nordurpóllinn have offered us an agreement of 50/50 box office split, which we will invest back into the company.
• In collaboration with Steinunn Knútsdóttir (the director of the drama department of the Icelandic Academy of Drama: Listaháskóli Íslands/LHÍ) we will invite students from the Department of Theory and Practice to our performances in Reykjavik, to exchange views on the devising process and methodology in theatre.
• As Head of a Woman will be performing their first piece Grey Matters: A Play for Six Brains at Rich Mix (London) on June 17th 2012, the group aim to make contacts with the venue to return with the new piece later in the summer.
• Head of a Woman has secured financial support to cover the cost of travel to Iceland.
• Graphic Design for the upcoming website and promotional materials has been donated.
• All website design and promotional video is covered in-house through internal skill development within the ensemble.

Why Do We Need the Funding?

Head of a Woman will use the crowd funding to cover production costs for the development and performances of 1883.753.  These costs will include expenditures such as: equipment hire, set materials, costume expenses, marketing materials, website creation and administrative costs.  All funding goes directly to 1883.753.

Head of a Woman believes strongly in stretching every pound sterling to its fullest potential.